Podcaster Tim Pool found himself in an unexpected encounter while out late one evening when a group of young men recognized him on the street. Eager to discuss current events, they approached him to delve into the latest online buzz.

The conversation took a peculiar turn when one of the young men pressed Pool for his thoughts on an outlandish rumor circulating online. The rumor claimed that his former colleague, Candace Owens, had gone into hiding after uncovering an alleged assassination plot. The plot supposedly involved operatives from Israel and France, who were accused of having killed Charlie Kirk, the founder of the student organization Turning Point USA.

Pool, speaking to the Daily Mail, reassured the group that these claims were entirely unfounded and that they were being misled by such misinformation. He expressed concern over the proliferation of these baseless theories.

For weeks, Pool had watched with growing concern as Owens guided her audience deeper into a web of conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s supposed assassination on September 10 at Utah Valley University. Her rhetoric, already questionable, took an even more bizarre turn upon her return from a Thanksgiving break.

Owens escalated the rhetoric by boldly asserting, without a shred of evidence, that Kirk had been betrayed by the leadership of Turning Point USA. Further, she alleged that the same French-connected interests allegedly involved in Kirk’s death were now conspiring against her.

It’s important to note that all of Owens’ claims lack any factual basis and should be viewed with skepticism.

But then Owens raised the stakes again, urging Turning Point donors to demand their money back and for supporters to abandon the organization.

Owens has wildly claimed with ‘full confidence’ that Kirk was ‘betrayed by the leadership of Turning Point USA’

She has also baselessly claimed that French-connected interests were ‘behind’ Kirk’s killing and also plotting her own assassination

‘I am making a personal plea to every well-meaning person who donated to this Godforsaken organization to request a refund,’ she said on Tuesday. ‘You were lied to. And leadership knew.’

Disgusted, Pool told the Daily Mail he reached his limit: ‘She crossed the line when she said that Turning Point betrayed Charlie and to ask for a refund from “this Godforsaken organization.”

‘The implication is that they killed Charlie, and now she’s actively telling people to basically destroy them. She’s actively now trying to destroy everything Charlie built.’

Pool had long defended Owens as a ‘genius’ and had willingly hosted her on his own show, but now says he has long grown tired of her ‘act.’

Owens’ recent claims were also said to be the last straw for Turning Point leaders who determined to confront her directly.

The Daily Mail is told that a plan was hatched to publicly invite Owens to appear on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, so she could make her accusations in-person, forcing her to listen to the impact that her claims are having on the people she is implicating.

Some among Turning Point staff believed she’d turn them down. But that was an outcome – insiders say – they were willing to risk if they could expose her and finally try to move on from the conspiracies surrounding Kirk’s assassination.

On Wednesday, Kirk’s producer, Blake Neff, read a long list of Owens’s claims on the show – and invited her to appear live on-air to defend her words.

‘It is not funny and it is not insignificant. It is evil,’ Neff said, adding that the personal attacks directed at Turning Point staff from Owens’s supporters had become ‘worse than Antifa’s [behavior].’

While many inside Turning Point breathed a sigh of relief, others felt it was a mistake to engage the powerful podcaster in a public feud.

One source close to the internal debate told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t think it’s smart at all because all it does is give her more oxygen. You can’t go to war with Candace Owens.’

The idea produced more risks than rewards, another staffer told the Daily Mail, potentially elevating the controversy to new heights.

The same staffer pointed out that it had long been Charlie Kirk’s rule to work behind the scenes to settle disputes within the conservative community quietly and he thought it a mistake to engage with bad-faith actors.

Kirks friends told the Daily Mail that he frequently advised them: ‘Do not feed the trolls, focus on the mission’ and ‘do not give air to people who want to tear you down and sow discord.’

In fact, Turning Point sources say, that’s exactly how the group handled this controversy.

There were a few attempts to engage with Owens behind the scenes and plead with her to stop, one source familiar with the conflict told the Daily Mail, but there was no response.

Pool – who hosted Kirk on his show and appeared at Turning Point events in the past – was also hesitant to endorse the strategy, noting that the organization should have reached out to Owens privately before issuing a public challenge.

‘They acted quickly but maybe too quickly,’ Pool said. ‘It’s only going to inflame her. It’s only going to reignite whatever she’s doing.’

By Thursday, Owens had accepted the challenge, telling her audience that it was a ‘major, major win.’

‘You can pick the place, you can pick the time. I say we do it tomorrow,’ she said. ‘I accept it with whistles and bells on.’

In response, Neff announced on social media early on Thursday that Kirk’s friends would appear on a livestream in his studio at 4pm EST on Monday, December 15, to respond to Owens’s attacks and set the record straight.

‘Our offer from yesterday holds: If Candace wishes to join us in person in Phoenix, she is welcome to do so. She can let us know by the end of today,’ he said.

But by the evening, Candace had proposed a counteroffer. She would appear on a livestream with them rather than fly to Phoenix for an in-person showdown.

Later, Owens told her audience that the Turning Point challenge was a ‘BS offer’ and an ‘obvious PR move’ and refused to participate.

Owens’ recent claims are said to have been the last straw for Turning Point leaders who are determined to confront her directly

But one source close to the internal debate told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t think it’s smart at all because all it does is give her more oxygen. You can’t go to war with Candace Owens’

‘I’m sorry, I cannot arrive in person. In the meantime,’ she concluded, ‘we are going to investigate even harder.’

For the moment, it appears that the Turning Point strategy is going forward as hopes.

Plans to confront each of Owens allegations in a livestreamed episode on December 15 are still in place.

Owens told viewers she would respond on her own live show.

Reached for comment, Owens’ representatives suggested the Daily Mail watch her show.